GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED The word "mocked" as we find it in the Bible means to make light of or to jeer.

God will not tolerate being mocked, and He will not tolerate His servants being mocked. For a Christian to do wrong when they know what is right also falls into the category of mockery. When you do wrong, expect chastisement. God will not be mocked! Christians should not tolerate being mocked either. All too often, Christians allow their religious beliefs to be trampled on and say absolutely nothing. When we are offended, we should let people know they are offensive. Lets begin our study in II Kings. II Kings 2:15 And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha." And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him. Elisha had witnessed Elijah departing in the chariot of Isreal. Elisha picked up the mantle of Elijah, and the people that the spirit of Elijah was now with Elisha, but there were many doubters. II Kings 2:16 And they said unto him, Behold now, there be with thy servants fifty strong men; let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master: lest peradventure the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up. and cast him upon some mountain, or into some valley. And he said, "Ye shall not send." Elisha knew God had taken Elijah, and he told them not to go looking for Elijah. They didn't believe that God had taken Elijah. Remember, these are supposed prophets. II Kings 2:17 And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, Send." They sent therefore fifty men; and they came again to him,(for he tarried at Jericho,)he said unto them, Did I not say unto you, Go not'? The people are about to test Elisha. IIKings2:19 And the men of the city said unto Elisha, "Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren." They want Elisha to prove that he has the power to perform miracles. They are doubters. IIKings2:20 And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him.(21) And he went forth unto the spring of waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the LORD,'I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land." The land shall produce fruit. Are they going to believe Elisha. Im certain many of them did not. II Kings 2:22 So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake, (22)And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head." Now, the people had already proven they didn't believe God had taken Elijah when they sent fifty men to look for him, and they doubted that Elisha could perform miracles. These little children(in the Hebrew language ages twenty to forty years old)mocked Elisha by saying "Go up. What they meant was go up as Elijah did. Show us how Elijah went up. Prove it. They were mocking God as well. II Kings 2:24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare the forty and two children of them. Elisha didn't stand still for this offensive behavior. You shouldn't stand still for Christianity being mocked either. God will not be mocked! God caused the bears to attack the mockers. God loved Elijah very much, as Elisha did. Neither idly stood by to watch the sacred event of Elijah's going up to be mocked. It should bring tears to

your eyes to think on how Jesus Christ was mocked. Are we worth it? Lets turn to Matthew as we continue. Matthew 26:63 But Jesus held His peace. And the high priest answered and said unto Him, I adjure Thee by the living God that Thou tell us whether Thou be the Christ, the Son of God."(64)Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven." This is what Christ endured for you and I. Matthew 26:65 Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, "He hath spoken blasphemy; what further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard His blasphemy.(66)What think ye? "They answered and said, He is guilty of death." It is worthy of notice that the people mocking Elisha and God were supposed prophets. Here we have the high priest mocking Christ and God. Matthew 26:67 Then did they spit in His face, and buffeted Him; and others smote Him with the palms of their hands,(68) Saying, Prophesy unto us, Thou Christ, Who is he that smote thee?" As it is written in Mark 14:65,they also blindfolded Christ before they struck Him. Jesus took this abuse for you. He was on a mission. That mission was to pay for our sins. We are going to skip to Matthew 27:27 Matthew 27:27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto Him the whole band of soldiers.(28) And they stripped Him, and put on Him a scarlet robe.(29) And when they had platted a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand: and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him, saying "Hail, King of the Jews!" God will not be mocked! Jesus stood His ground and did what He was supposed to do. Do you stand your ground as a Christian for Him? The time comes that standing for Him becomes very important, friends. Matthew 27:30 And they spit upon Him, and took the reed, and smote Him on the head.(31)And after that they had mocked Him, they took the robe off from Him, and put His own raiment on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. He was crucified for the sins of the world. That is God's plan of salvation; however, God will not be mocked. How would you like to stand in the shoes of the high priest or the soldiers on judgment day? You get exactly that which you have earned. Turn to Galatians with me. Galatians6:1 Brethen, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself lest thou also be tempted. Dont jump on someone that is down. You that are spiritual know that God will take care of chastisement. Galatians 6:2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. This means to help your brothers in love; however, this does not mean loaning a drug addict money to buy another fix. Dont be an enabler. That isn't love. Galatians 6:3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. (4) But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. How does one prove his work? How much fruit has he or she produced? Dont compare your works with that of others. God has given different gifts, and He expects fruit to be produced in accordance with the gifts given.

Galatians 6:5 For every man shall bear his own burden. You reap what you sow. That is the way it is. Galatians 6:6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth unto him that teacheth in all good things. Don't hide knowledge under a bushel or bed. When you are given knowledge of God's Word, share it. Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For someone to receive other than what he is entitled on judgment day would be a mockery of God. It won't happen, friend. You get what you deserve, and that means rewards for some. Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption: but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. It is what you sow to the Spirit that adds to your account concerning everlasting life. God will not be mocked! Galatians 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. Christ was persecuted for well doing; you will be persecuted for well doing. But, you don't have to tolerate someone trying to make second-class citizens out of Christians. Stand up for Christ. He stood up for you. Galatians 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Do good unto all men, especially those that are Christians. Why? They are your brothers and sisters. We are going to conclude this message in the book of II Peter. II Peter 3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I write now unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance; Your mind is only pure through sincere belief and faith in Jesus Christ. Your pure mind is that part of you that wants to do right and to learn truth. II Peter 3:2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Savior:(3)Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, Those who scoff, jeer and mock God will become worse and worse in this the generation of the fig tree, that is to say the last days. What will they be saying? II Peter 3:4 And saying, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation." The mockers don't believe the prophets and apostles. They don't believe the Bible is the divine Word of God. They haven't read Psalm 22.They certainly don't understand the parable of the fig tree. They don't see prophecy coming to pass at an increasing pace. II Peter 3:5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, That by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:(6) Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: The mockers don't even know about the first earth age. In fact, most "Bible thumpers" don't know about the

first earth age either. It drives many people away from Christianity when the "Bible thumpers" make an ignorant statement such as the earth is only six thousand years old. The earth was created millions of years ago, and God's Word makes that very clear, if you have read His Woed with understanding. You reap what you sow. God will not be mocked. In His Service, Arnold Murray.